TAAT @ AGRF2020

Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is convening a high-level session on “Agricultural Technologies for Feeding the Cities” at this year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF). The session will hold on the 7^th of September 2020 via the AGRF’s virtual platform.

Organised by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the AGRF is the world’s premier forum for advancing Africa’s agricultural agenda. At its 10th anniversary, the summit is expected to use its full weight, resources, and partnerships to energise political will and drive the actions required to overcome the major challenges affecting African agriculture.

With the theme Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa, the virtual summit, which is being co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda under the leadership of H.E. President Kagame and the AGRF Partners Group, aspires to rally action on rethinking African food systems to deliver resilient, better nourished, and more prosperous outcomes for all.

In line with the theme, TAAT’s session seeks to provide insight on how African agriculture is being transformed through the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy with particular emphasis on proven technologies and innovative partnerships as vehicles of delivery.

The session will explore, the strategic linkage between agricultural research and technology delivery.  Participants will get an opportunity to hear about selected TAAT’s success stories and lessons learnt in feeding African cities through its Wheat Revolution, Intensification of Cassava Production and Commercialisation, and Building the Capacity of African Farmers through Technology Outreach.

Linking Feeding the Cities to Feed Africa

The virtual session is expected to advance the cause of African agricultural transformation via the lens of the Feed Africa strategy – put in place by the African Development Bank.

It will address innovative options for accelerating African agricultural transformation in a post-COVID-19 era through the deployment of proven agricultural technologies and partnerships capable of bringing food security to African cities and rural communities. Workable strategies for mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on food security for Africa will also be proffered.

Experts scheduled to speak at this event include Dr. Martin Fregene, Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industries, African Development Bank, Dr. Ken Dashiell, Deputy Director General (Partnerships for Delivery), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Chrys Akem, TAAT Programme Coordinator, and Dr. Innocent Musabyimana, Head of TAAT Clearinghouse. Others are Dr. Irene Annor-Frempong, Director Research & Innovations at Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Zewdie Bishaw, TAAT Wheat Compact Coordinator at International Centre for Agriculture in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Dr. Abass Adebayo, TAAT Cassava Compact Coordinator at IITA

Participants are expected to be drawn from current and former Heads of State and Governments, Agriculture and Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors, top and emerging private sector industry players, and representatives of farmer organizations. Others are eminent leaders of global and regional development institutions, civil society and media representatives.

To register for the virtual session, click here.

About TAAT

Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a programme sponsored by the African Development Bank  as an integral part of its Feed Africa Strategy of 2016–2025.

TAAT’s overall objective is to harness high-impact, proven agricultural technologies to raise agricultural productivity in Africa; mitigate risks and promote diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight priority intervention areas.

Within two years of implementation, TAAT has recorded successes in deploying proven technologies to African farmers at scale – enabling them to increase yields and improve their livelihoods in a sustainable manner. The programme has achieved a considerable increase in agricultural productivity across the continent through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies along selected commodity value chains: Maize, Rice, Wheat, High Iron Bean, Cassava, Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato, Sorghum/Millet, Livestock and Aquaculture.

With the support of Enablers, TAAT continues with its accelerated momentum to significantly address the issues of low yields by tackling more transversal issues in African agriculture such as improving soil fertility, discovering the untapped potential for improved water management, coordinating and advocating agricultural research initiatives, providing the necessary policy support,  attracting African youth in agribusiness and helping farmers respond  to transboundary plant pests and diseases such as Fall Armyworm.